THE HON BILL SHORTEN MP

LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION

MEMBER FOR MARIBYRNONG
E&OE TRANSCRIPT
DOORSTOP INTERVIEW
FRIDAY, 22 AUGUST 2014
MELBOURNE
SUBJECT/S: Fair pay deal for Victorian paramedics; Abbott
Goernment!s "nfair B"d#et; $mmi#ration; Addressin# claims; Ted
Baillie"
BILL SHORTEN, LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION: Well, as Victorias long-
running ambulance dispute enters its second year, this is a crazy dispute.
Dennis Napthine needs to sort out his arguments with Victorias much-
loved paramedics. To put a pay oer on the table which is below !"#,
which is thousands and thousands o$ dollars below the same people with
the same s%ills get interstate, and to allow a dispute to run on $or two
years, is &ust poor. #t is important in industrial disputes, theres always two
sides to the position, but it should not be beyond the wit and wisdom o$ a
'iberal (overnment to be able to resolve a negotiation with highly s%illed
pro$essionals who everyday put themselves on the line.
The ambulance o)cers that we saw here, theyre not radicals, theyre not
overpaid, theyre hard wor%ing, they go to dar% and dangerous parts every
day and every night, they wor% long hours and #, as # said in the rally, li%e
most *ustralians have never wor%ed in the ambulance service, but li%e
every *ustralian, especially every *ustralian parent, we %now what good
wor% ambos do. #ts time $or this dispute to get +,ed.
# might &ust ma%e a brie$ comment about the -udget. # note today the
remar%able intervention by the .ecretary o$ the Treasury Department,
/artin "ar%inson, who now concedes that perhaps the -udget is going the
wrong way and it hasnt been properly dealt with. 0oe 1oc%ey now has a
real problem2 hes got his $ormer Treasurer "eter !ostello saying its been
stued up. 1es got the *ustralian people saying its wrong. 1es got his
colleagues privately saying its been stued up. -ut now his own senior
public servant says its not going the right way. #t is time $or 0oe 1oc%ey
and Tony *bbott to give up on this un$air -udget, listen to the people and
indeed instead o$ cutting pensions, putting a (" ta, on, increasing petrol
ta,es, brea%ing election promises, telling lies be$ore the election, its time
$or this un$air -udget to be put in the bin and the (overnment should start
again. 1appy to ta%e 3uestions.
JOURNALIST: 4ou said yesterday you were cleared by police but they said
there was only, they were only not proceeding with the charges because
there wasnt a reasonable prospect o$ conviction, is there a dierence in
your view5
SHORTEN: 4esterday # said in my statement all that # intend to say on this
matter. # meant that. # do not intend to comment any $urther.
JOURNALIST: Do you e,pect the "rime /inister to counsel any /"s who
bring it up in "arliament5
SHORTEN: *gain, # have said all that #6m going to say on this matter. #n
all $airness, the police have concluded their wor%, they6ve made their
decisions, and now # thin% it6s appropriate to draw a line under the matter
and that6s what #6m going to do.
JOURNALIST: Did you have any indication that the woman who made
the claims was going to go public5
SHORTEN: What is important here is to recognise that # mean what # say. #
made my comments yesterday and #6ve said that # will not be spea%ing
any $urther, and # issued a statement and # will %eep to that.
JOURNALIST: Daniel *ndrews said he would have a 7oyal !ommission
into violence against women i$ hes elected, do you thin% that they should
loo% at this issue5
SHORTEN: #ve said all #m going to say on the matter and again, # thin%
the police have done their &ob and now # intend to draw a line under the
matter.

JOURNALIST: Would 'abor support all children being released $rom
detention5
SHORTEN: 'abor believes in the importance o$ ensuring that children
are sa$e. #t6s important where we can to get children out o$ detention. That
has been 'abor6s position and we did that in 89:9. # thin% it6s about time
that /inister .cott /orrison started engaging in transparency and
less secretiveness about this $undamental 3uestion.
JOURNALIST: Do you thin% all children should be released5
SHORTEN: 'abor does believe in releasing children $rom detention but we
also recognise that it6s important that children have the opportunity to be
with their parents.
JOURNALIST: The (overnment says oshore processing only wor%s i$ it
applies to all. Do you thin% there should be some leeway $or children5
SHORTEN: Well 'abor has engaged in terms o$ this matter by, in
89:9, releasing hundreds o$ children $rom detention. # thin% that
the (overnment needs to answer 3uestions about their intentions. We +nd
the (overnment secretive on matters to do with immigration. We +nd that
the /inister6s happy to be photographed on patrol boats oshore, but on
the hard issues he goes missing.
JOURNALIST: ;ormer Victorian "remier Ted -aillieu has announced hes
going to step down, 3uit state politics in November, what do you ma%e o$
this news5
SHORTEN: Well, Ted -aillieu has risen to be "remier o$ Victoria2 this is a
remar%able accomplishment accorded to very $ew people. # recognise and
pay respect to his public service and to achieving the o)ce o$ "remier o$
Victoria. # thin% the 'iberal "arty are probably wondering i$ they did the
right thing in terms o$ replacing him. -ut today # say to Ted -aillieu,
congratulations on your service and now your $amily get you to come bac%
to them. No other 3uestions5 Than%s very much, see you.
E%&S